1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to reciprocating slat conveyors for loading or unloading cargo from a receptacle and, more particularly, to reciprocating slat conveyors having sets of slats that can be simultaneously or sequentially moved to offload bulk cargo.
2. Technical Considerations
Conventional reciprocating slat conveyors are used for loading and unloading receptacles with bulk cargo, such as garbage, fertilizer, wood chips, sawdust, and the like. The receptacles can be mobile, such as a trailer, or fixed in place. The conveyor floor includes sets of slats having individual slats spaced across the width of the receptacle. The slats are joined to a cross member extending across the width of the floor. A hydraulic drive having hydraulic cylinders is typically positioned in the middle of the conveyor floor or at the front of the trailer to move the slats. The cylinders can be actuated to move all of the slats simultaneously to load or unload the receptacle or to move the sets of slats sequentially to retract the sets of slats back to a starting position.
A problem with conventional mid-drive and front-drive slat conveyors is that the lateral torque absorbed in the cylinder rods can damage the rods or cause the screws connecting the rods to the slats to wear. The rods extend through a front support frame, where torque is transferred to the rod. The rods are rigidly connected to the slats and any torque caused by misalignment of the slats is transferred to the rods. Also, the drive components can become fouled, dirty, or corroded due to material falling through the slats onto the drive components. Moreover, these conventional drive systems do not have non-leak proof capability.
Therefore, it would be advantageous to provide a slat conveyor system that reduces or eliminates at least some of these problems. For example, it would be advantageous to provide a front-drive slat conveyor in which the torque transferred to the rods can be reduced. It would also be advantageous to provide a leak-free slat conveyor system.